‘JRD Tata and the Ethics of Philanthropy’ review: Business and social welfare
The Hindu
JRD Tata introduced an ethical dimension to the corporate world as early as the beginning of the 20th century
“A business,” American industrialist Henry Ford observed, “that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” If minting money is an ethical issue in domains such as politics, education, sports and such other fields, it is quite understandable. After all, the end of these fields is not profit-making. But the problem arises when we think that making money is not a virtue in the domain of business which comes into being solely for the sake of profit-making. Ethical factors, therefore, are more complicated, nuanced and intriguing in the field of business than in any other human activity. They pose challenges not only to businessmen and women, but also to thinkers. It is in this context that Bengaluru-based philosopher Sundar Sarukkai, in his JRD Tata and the Ethics of Philanthropy, takes up the challenge of untangling the problems of ethics in the field of business by analysing the exemplary work of Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata. JRD, as Sarukkai’s book shows, introduced an ethical dimension to the corporate world as early as the beginning of the 20th century.More Related News